Design ideas for Nora Ephron-inspired rooms
Nora Ephron’s films – not least the triumvirate of When Harry Met Sally…, You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle – have many admirable qualities. There are the ups and downs of the plots, there’s the wit and the quips, there’s Meg Ryan in her prime – and then there are the interiors. We’ve written about them before at House & Garden, prompted by the wonderful Instagram account @noraephroninteriors, and they remain now as they were then an inspiration to any of us trying to bottle the effervescent optimism of a 1990s rom-com and apply it to our own homes.
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If you’re one of the Ephronites aiming to do so, you might look at the mid-century modern pretensions and ladder-backed chairs of Sam’s apartment in Sleepless in Seattle or the tall windows and jumbled bookshelves of Kathleen’s brownstone in You’ve Got Mail. Maybe you want to play Pictionary sandwiched between friends on a pinstripe sofa (“Draw something resembling anything!”), or host Christmas dinner under a chandelier, around a table that’s too small for the number of guests you’ve invited.
Or else, you might look at some of these real-life examples by interior designers from the House & Garden archive which channel the Nora Ephron look, and take some pointers from them to help recreate one of the most iconic styles from cinema in real life.
Simon Brown1/13Ephron characters are well read – bookcases abound, as in this Kensington apartment, where an open-plan kitchen and living space is delineated by rugs and sofas, also a staple of Ephron interiors. The chandelier adds a further cinematic touch.
Christopher Horwood2/13In this farmhouse designed and owned by Francesca Gentilli, a collection of artwork – including two Phoebe Dickinson paintings, one by Francesca’s uncle and another by her great grandfather, Arthur Lumb – combine with a variety of textiles and a well stocked drinks shelf – extremely on brand for Ephron’s characters.
Michael Sinclair3/13The combination of a wood floor and bookshelves, along with a dash of modern furniture in the form of the side console, plus the older armchairs and fireplace make this space in designer Charles Rutherfoord’s house feel not unlike the home of a Ephron protagonist.
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Anne Nyblaeus4/13Transplant Cathy Nordstrom’s summer house from Sweden to the coast near Cape Cod and you’ve got an Ephron-ready interior. Here, the green sofa isupholstered in linen fabric from Swedish brand Astrid. The chequered sofa is a flea market buy, upholstered in Romo fabric. The two chairs on the right are rare new pieces in the house, bought online from Ellos. The rattan lamps are vintage finds from a Dutch seller on Etsy and the shades are from Pooky.
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Simon Bergström5/13In Sebastian Bergstrom’s tiny Stockholm apartment, the white tiles, cabinets in ‘Sudbury Yellow’ by Farrow & Ball and colourful floating shelves painted in ‘Heat’ by Little Greene aren’t difficult to imagine in the 1990s apartment of a singleton New Yorker. Visible pots and pans add to the impression of efficiently used space.
Simon Bergström6/13Elsewhere in the flat, an internal window opens from the bedroom into the kitchen, making the room feel brighter and more spacious. A clever shelf behind the bed and deep windowsills provide space for plants and to set down a cup or glass. Imagine the view looks out on Chicago, Seattle or Brooklyn and you’re halfway there.
Simon Brown7/13A walk-in closet-style dressing room (replete with the odd discarded high heel) like this one in a London apartment by Hugh Henry is the perfect space to store shoulder pads and strings of pearls.
Simon Brown8/13Tall beds in bedrooms that maximise storage space, with clean white sheets and curtains, plus large throw cushions, are all in keeping. This specific room is in a West London flat by Beata Heuman.
Owen Gale9/13The yellow roll-top bath and plates on the walls of Lucinda Chambers’s bathroom feel like the perfect sort of whimsy a set designer might introduce to a Nora Ephron film set.
Owen Gale10/13While strong colour is relatively unusual in Ephron interiors, the decorative detail in Lucinda’s kitchen – in the form of an antique chandelier from Myriad and vintage floral print curtains from Katharinepole.com – is typical.
Jake Curtis11/13The compact galley kitchen in designer Ben Pentreath’s small flat is bright with white units and shelving, though not clinical thanks to unusual dark green walls.
Owen Gale13/13On the top floor of Angus and Charlotte Buchanan’s house is a tiny spare bedroom, with panelled walls painted in Atelier Ellis’ ‘Bell Pink’.
